Dental articulator.



A. GYSI.

` DENTAL ARTIGULATQR. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 2s, 1911.

1,041,270. A Patented'ctl, 1912.

4 .i y A a BHMTFSHEET 1.

i 1f 20 r '25 2@ .e'jgflilh A. Gsl. DENTAL ARTIGULATOB. APPLICATION FILED HAY 23, 1911.

1,041,270. Patented ons. 15,1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. GYSL. DENTAL ARTICULMOR.v

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1911.

1,041,270. Patented on15,1912.v

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.l

UNiTED f STAWENT ormoni ALFRED l( rYsI, orznion, SWITZERLAND.

DENTAL-ARTICULATOR. ,I

. 4To all 'wh-om, 'it may commi'. f

Be it known thatl, ALFRED Gren-"proiessor, a citizen of the Republic of Switzerland, residing at Obere Zune 10, Zrich,

Switzerland, have invented ynew and useful f Improvements in or Relating to Dental Articulators; and. I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and-exact description of the invention, such as will enable others. skilled in the -art'to which it apper- .ta-ins to make" and use' the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

'and to letters or figures of reference markedA thereon, which form a part of this specifica tion. f

'This invention relates to an apparatus i (hereinafter referred to as an articulator),

for the use of dentists, byf means of which the hinge movements of rows of artificial teeth for the upper and lower jaws, can be re reduced and determined'. Articulators of this kind that are known to Vme have two parts adjustable relatively to each other, situated one above the other, the .Upper one of which is pivoted or hinged to the lower one. To' one part is secured 't'he row of teeth intended for the lower jam-and' to the other 1 par the row of teeth intended for the up- )per part of the articulator, in some of such 'wellknown articulators, is adjustable on per jaw. In order to enable these two rows of teeth to be moved in the natural grinding movement relatively to each other, theI uphorizontal fixed guides arranged-at a .right angle to the axis of the hinge or joint. f Inl other constructions, on4 the xcontrary,V- the, same is adjustable on oblique vlined guides whichhowever are also arranged at a right In suchI ang-e to the axis of the joint. known constructions the pivotal movements of the upper and lower series' of teeth can not be adapted to 'suit the-individual condiltions of jaw and joint. Inorder to attain' the latterobject, articula-tors have been de signed in which the vupperp'art of .tlie artculator is adjustable by'means. of pivot Y pins in straight guides which can bemoved.

For the same purpose'articulators `have been designed in which the upper" part'ot'the arl vt-iculator is 'adj ustable Abyv 'means of' pivot pins in Xed curvedguide's. a In this'last described construction, the curved guides are provided. on interchangeable' plates (slotted l plates) and the. shape bf the 'euries is *obspecification f Letters Patent.

Application med may 23, 19,114.I serial, Np. ezanga: l j

ehieh: reproaueesfh .manuali grinaig horizontal forward', honi-ZontaE `in awer'tical @direction y:th'atvis' vnv fa'f direction l vwhich lies ybetween' these threedirctions. 1x-Another novelf'ea-ture oth'e artieulator 9 yaccording tofthis =invention is' t-hatfthe"v axis V"of 'the -joint'tor the upper part-jl of the v-art-ieu- Adrawing, fare situated.;t at the the rearmostpart fof tlief-Y points :theft'rnt cuttingV c 'thfedge the tained byfmeansof i .movement of the .lower jaw. "Butieveni ithe last` two described l lconstructions do.L notjfao complish the object of the` resent' invention;

more particularly in Athat Lit-fjwasl impossible 6 lt0 -reproduce' exactly the pivetallinoveinehts `of.;the upper part oftheiLa-rtieulatorcorresponding to :the lateral-In'astieatingi vIii'o'vements. vz This is aduc toy the fact that in .th'e said articulators,thestraight and adjustable 6 guides, or slotted platesfused, "controlthe?ad-A Vjru'stableupper partv ofthe articul atorfchiely only infthe vertical-directi0nbutnot alsoV ,in llateral direction.`

with two guide parts', each of which .isjprovided with two curved surfaces arrange atl 8 a-n'angle to each .other and 'cooperating l 'th' two guidepins 'of the other part-fofthearticulator .in 1 such manner that when the adi j justable .part of the Aarticulatorisf-operated` it will be vcontrolled by the 4curved 'surfaces 8 efzeach V'guide .piece;simultaneously a f.inw'ai-dlandlater occupies' a more tavorablefpositionjas,

regards Athe heightythanin'fthe case offar-v" ticul'ators -at present known- 'and jnientioned in`the=-beginning Forsomef'ot tfhemjit has beenassumed that the"hinge'pointsfof ,the lower "j awV u, .as shown EFigui others, 'the assumption' was' made tha e hinge points were si'tuatedjonthe iletililof"b, l `and the pivot 'pins'o" j n i therefore' lplaced at' the'v icorresp'ndin africaine-afina@ j i gevel..

the jaw ein bfmovedfin 'fthe aisee-aan lower jaw about the points b, it will be moved-on the contrary in the direction of the arcof circle L. ieithe` -gf thse tvvo movements is heeft. suitable for obtaining 'a natural grinding movement of the upper and lower rows of teeth. Careful observations seem to prove that the real hinge points of the lower jaw are not situated either on the levell of a or of b, but on the level of c (Fig. 1),'that is to-say, about in the middle between a' and I; but behind the vertical line passing through the points `a and b. 1 The axis' ofthe joint in the pres#- ent articulator is accordingly `shifted for theV upper part ofthe articulator, to the- This results in the foremost level of '0.

cutting tooth edge Z describing the varc of circle c situated between the arcs of circle tion, F ig.i3 in plan, Fig. 4 in front elevation,`

, tained.

a and', whereby-the closest possible imitation ofthe 'natural grinding motion is ob;

A construction according to this invention is illustrated, by way of example in the accompanying dra-wing in which* Fig. 2 shows' the/articulator in side eleva- 6 (Fig. 2), the rowof teeth 7 intendedI for the lowerjaw. On the upperpart.l of the articulator is also mountedA adjustably by means of pins 9 (Fig. 6), an arm 8 which.

projects in the same direct-ion as the arm 3. This arm 8' can also befxed by means of set screws 10 acting on ,the pins, and the row of. teeth l2 intended for' the upper jaw, lcan be secured to said arm by means of gypsum 11 (Fig. 2). The arm 8 is provided at' its front end with an adjustable pin v13 directed vvertically downward and capable ofl being fixed by means of a set screw 14.' The pin 13 is guided at the bottom by a cam face. 15 provided at the front end o-f the arm and provided with lateral flanges 16 (Figs. 2-4).

The upper part 2 ispivoted on a cross-piece 1 (Fig. 6)-of the part 1 by means of supl porting pins' 18 which rest in a longitudinal 6o groove 19 formed/in the cross-piece 1 said pinsa're pressedinto the groove by a spring blade' 17 whichis fixed at 'one end to the underside of the cross-piece 1, andhas its free end pressing von topof the upper part V2.

The longitudinal groove formsthe axis' ot' the joint about whichv the upper part of the articulator can 4'be turned during .the m vertical masticating motion, and is situated on a Level wit-h the punit HLFlg.- le. The

20 (Figs. 3 and 5) formed in the part 2 and can be fixed in adjusted position by means of nuts on the pins. These pins form the 'proper centers of turning or tipping about which the -part 2 of the lart-iculator can be turned during the lateral masticating movements. The cross-piece 1 is provided proper adjustment of they ins V18 when two ormore complete sets .o teeth are to be' manufactured simultaneously. thereof is formed aA s lit bearing 2'L (Figs. '3, 4, and 5) in each o which is mounted an, arm 21y bifurcated at one end and extendin parallel to the slot 20.. These arms are ad cated ends extending in' opposite 'directions to each other. In each bifurcatedl arm a guide -part 23 is mounted interchangeably and rotatably about a pin 24, and sot-hat it can be xed byfmeans f a set screw 25 (Figs.4 2-6). For the exact adjustment of upper part 2, and fer the adjustment of the guide parts 23 relatively tof the bifurcated arms, there are provided on the [split bearings twoscales 26, and on thebifurcated or scales 28 are provided on the guide parts (Figs. 2 and'3). r v

Each of4 theltwo plate-'shaped guide parts 23 is provided on vits lower surface with a; rib 23 (F igs. 5, l0 and *'11) ata right angle 'said rib, arid the portion 3() of the lower side of the guide part, situated .at a right angle to the. said side, are vformed into cam -or curved ,surfaces- (Figs. 10 and 11). These curved `'surfaces 29 and 30'A can .have the shapes shownjn Figs. 74), that is to say, either the surface 29 can be straight, as shown in-Fig. 7, and the corresponding surface 30 have the shape of the surface 29 in Figs. 8 or 9, or the converse can be the case. The upper part 2 of the articulator is pressed by. theaction of the spring 17, with the guide parts23 against two. vertical guide bpins 31 secured to the cross-piece 1 of the articulato-r, namely in 'such Amanner that each guide part rests with the surface'30 from the top, and with Vthe surface 29 from the side, lagainst the corresponding pin 31. Theguide parts 23 and the guide pins 31 form the joints for the lateral movements of the upperpart 2 of thearticulator; these movements are independent of therertcal pivotal movements proper, which can be effected with the upper part of the articulator bymeans of thevsupporting pins 18 landof with Aa scale (Fig. 4) for indicating the `On the front of the part2 near each end.

justable in the bearings and are clampedr 1n"- position therein by bolts 22wi'th their bifu-rl"l to the same. rhe outward .side 29 of the'v supporting pins 18'are adjustable in slots w the bifurcatedarms'21 relatively to the` arms, corresponding handsy or indices 27,

Ico

lupper' part -2is 'tipped back. The bottomA ofthe said recess is curved inan arc of a7 circle, the center of which'issituated in. the

vgroove.19 (F ig. 6) or inthe point c (Figs 1). 4The spring blade 17 engages with that surface, onv the upper part 2 being tipped andk thus holds the upper part in the position` given to it. The shape lof thel curved surfaces. 29 and 30 of the guide parts 2'3 correspondingto the path of the pivotal movements ofthe lower j aw, is determi-ned by the measurement of the movements of the lower- )awA on the patient by-means o-f a measuring instrument, 'the sol called recorder. The manner inwhich itis done, will not be more fully described here, as it vis well lmown. To make a whole set of teeth, first of all guide parts 23 with curved 4'surfaces corresponding to the jaw movement-paths, ob-

tained by measurement o-n the patient,'are l inserted into the bifurcated arms 21, and 'the latter and the guide parts 23 adjusted by means of the scales 26 and 28 to the inclinations ascertained. After having further set the supporting pinsflS to the cor-V responding distance, the upper part of the articulator is moved to and fro between the ianges 16 ofthe plate 14: or on the sanie by means of the supportingpin 13. The upper part of the articulator will then be alternatfely tipped about the bottom end of'one and of the other supporting pin 18 as a center of rotation, and owing to Athe curved surfaces 29 and 30 of the appertaining'guide part Q3, pressed by the spring 17 against the corresponding pin 31, the upper/part 2' will be reciprocated vertically andhorizon. .tallyr forward and inward, the curved sur;

faces Q9controlling the upper part in the lateral that is in'the horizontal inward di.- rectionand the surfaces 30 in the vertical and in the horizontalA forward direction. These movements of the upper part' 2 or of the row the teeth secured to the arm 8 of the same relatively to the bottom row of teeth, correspond then, as they have been adapted yto the jaw and joint conditions of a patient,'in the most accurate manner fto the masticating movements which the patient makes with his lower jaw.

f The guide -parts23 'could alsobe provided on the lower part 1, and the pins 31 on'the upper part, of the articulator. In articulators for normal sets of teeth the guideparts sponding part of the art-iculator'.

Y and Vin what manner the saine is to be performed, .I declare thatwhat I claim is:

' 1 In an a'rticulator for dentists. a fixed -in a horizontal-forward, ahorizontalgin- .ward and in a vertical-downward'direction,

v.and a movableipart, means yie'ldinglycon-V necting said parts, twoI guide' pieces vv'corn nectedy toone of said `parts, feach'- of'isai'd'. guide vpieces having two curved surfacesarranged at, anl angley to eachother,- .two `pins connected 4to 'the other .one of' saidl parts' `andr engaging -said surfaces, saidA movable part when operatedbeing actuated ybythe curved .surfaces of each gulde, piece simultaneously v5.

that is in a .direction which lies between these three directions, substantially asN Jde# 2. In an articulator for.dentistsa fixed and a movablepart, arf-'spring securing saidV movable part to said ixedlpart, twoguide pieces connected to one of said parts hav-l ing` two curved surfaces arranged at 'an angle 'to each other, two guide pinsl coni nected to the other-fone of said parts andengaging said .curved surfaces, substantially as described. f 3. In an art-iculator for dentists, a fixed anda movable part, a plate-spring secured to the fixed partengaging ,withl its vfree end over the movable part and holding thelat-` ter in the position tippedbackward, two guide pieces connected to one of said parts having two curved surfaces arranged at an A angle to each other, two guide pins connected to the other one of said parts and engaging said curved surfaces, substantially as described.

4. Inanarticulator for dentists, a Xed 100 and a movable part, means yieldingly connecting t-he parts, two guide pieces connected toone of said parts having two curved surfaces arranged at an angle'to` each other,

two guide pins connected t Ithe other -one 'of said parts andl engaging said curved surfaces, the yaxis of the vertical movement of the movable part being between the top -of the articulatorand behind a vertical l plane passing through theJ guide pins. V110 5. In an art-iculatorv for-dentists, aJiXed and a movable part, a plate` spring securedv to the-iiXed part and engaging the movable part, two guide pieces connected to one of 4said parts having two curved surfaces ar- '115 ranged at an angle4 to each other, twoguide pins connected to one of said p`arts and engaging said curvedsurfa'ces, the aXisof the' vertical movement of the movable part being situated between the top of the guide pins and the horizontal middle plane of the ary ticulator and behind the vertical planepass- Aing through the guide'pins. maybe innn'ovablv connected to the corre- 6,'In`an articnlator'V for dentists, atixed and ainovabl'e part, means yieldmgly com 12.5 vnecting the parts, two axles connected to. one

'of said parts, two guide. pieces rotatable.

around-said axles and havingtwo curved surfaces arranged ate-an angle'toeach other. means to fix sa1d.gu1de p1eces,two gulde- 13 faces arranged at an angle .to each other,v

pins connected to the other one of said parts and engaging said curved surfaces,,substanv tially as described.

7.' In an articulator for dentists, a fixed and' two guide pins connected to the other onel of said-parts and engaging said curved I surfaes.

' 8. Inlan articulator for dentists, a fixed fand a movable part, means yieldingly conneotingtlie parts, tWo bifurcated arms, ro-

' tatable in one of said parts, two axles Aper pendicular to and supported by said bifurcate'd arms, two guide pieces rotatable laround said axles andhaving curved surfaces arrangedat an angle to each other, meansgto xsaid guide pieces, two guide pins connected to the other one of said parts andv engaging said curved surfaces, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence oi 'two subscribingb'witnesses.

I ALFRED GYSI.

Witnesses: AUGUST REGG, JULIUS P.' HEINS. 

